So here's the thing. I just got an 888 that is not bead blasted (well, it's in the mail, actually). It's really shiny so I guess you'd call that a clear finish. It is adonized, though. Plus, it's purple.

I was talking about it last night on the cam and Vendetta said that the clear finish was not as good as one that had been bead blasted because it does not play as smoothly or as well as a bead blasted yo-yo of the same type.

So, is he right or is this just a matter of opinion/personal preference?

--Erik

Anodizing can help with certain things, and clear can do others, It's kinda of a preference thing, but if you do most 1A or 5A tricks, beads or soda is the way to go.

I hear you...but why...and what does adonizing help with?

Uneven surface area (bead or soda blasting) makes for sweet long grinds (unless we are talking M1- those little buggers seem to grind for days no matter what finish they are, and I have both). I like grinding so I tend to buy yo-yo's I can do that with. HOWEVER- the clear ano finish is a heck of a lot easier for this old man to see...so there are a few of those in the stable as well
Just have to play with them really- once you have locked a Pistolero into a grind however, I think going back to clear is a non-option

Let me define "better". First of all, beadblasting (or sodablasting), is a process performed before anodization. It is a process in which you shoot beads, or soda (as in baking soda), at the yoyo at a relatively high velocity. With beads, the bead actually shatters into smaller pieces, but is basically "denting" the surface of the metal. Deforming the surface in this manner provides the yoyo with a different texture, a texture that is typically much more friction resistant. The end result is a surface that feels smooth to the touch, and, in my opinion, feels much nicer in the hand. However, due to a more friction resistant surface, grinds are much better. A surface that hasn't been blasted will feel sticky, because it is just raw (polished) metal. This kind of surface is not great for grinds. As I mentioned, the blasting takes place before the anodization. From there, the yoyos are anodized. They don't have to be, but they usually are. If you want to see a beadblasted yoyo that hasn't been anodized, look at Brett's wedgie. Anodization is just the process used to alter the color of the metal. That process is a little more complicated, so I won't go into depth.

To recap, what I meant by "plays better" mostly referred to grindability. The other benefit is a more preferential. That benefit is in regard to the feel. I personally much prefer the feel, as the yoyo just feels nice to hold, and isn't as sticky as unblasted surfaces. I know many people feel the same way, but opinions will vary, as always.

he explains it better then me, so go with his. Also I prefer the candy ano o hte ilyys. Crud it's smooth, grinds great, and is vividly coloured.

To add to that, anodizing is first and foremost a finish for aluminum. In other words, raw aluminum is soft and vulnerable. Anodizing is an electro-chemical process that hardens the surface. Luckily dye can be added to the process so we can get cool colors too.

And as Vendetta said, blasting happens before anodizing. I wouldn't use 'clear' to describe a finish that is not blasted though as I think that causes confusion.

so really clear is a type of anodizing and we should call it non-blasted?

Am I right? If so, CAN I HS TACOZ?

Clear is anodizing without any dye.

Clear has nothing to do with blasting.

GASP! I was right! What i meant by non-blasted was that the yo's that aren't soda or bead blasted aren't clear, but non-blasted.

Great discussion, guys. Thanks for the info. I would think that this 888 is non-blasted from the looks of it. I'm thinking that it will look something like General-Yo's 5-star which is pretty shiny. Maybe it's soda blasted (?)

At any rate, I feel a bit better about the non-blasted yo-yo. I am not a big grinder, and I do have Projects and M1s I can always reach for those...

--Erik

Soda-blasting makes a very matte finish. If your yoyo is shiny, it's not soda-blasted.

I'm not positive, as a friend of mine is still doing some experimenting, but my guess is the way they achieve that candied look is by using larger beads, putting in bigger dents, which allows the reflection of light you see. Of course, it likely gets a bit more complicated than that, but that is the gist.



I think I see what you are trying to say, and in your head it is probably right. However, Dave is right, clear has to do with anodizing, not blasting. The confusion of your statement is that a yoyo can be blasted AND have clear ano, which your post omits.



The 888 isn't soda blasted. I had one exactly like it, but it was black small bearing. It will be like the 5-Star, although Ernie polishes his yoyos for hours to give them the gloss look. It will still look shiny though.



Yes.

Not to protract this thread too much, but is it polished before or after adonizing? If I understand correctly, it is (large) bead blasted, then adonized, then polished.

I understand the soda vs. bead blasting results. It makes sense if you think about it...My theory is that soda blasting impacts the surface of the metal with many more, smaller impact points which causes the underlying metal to diffuse the light more than bead blasting would due to the size of the particle used.

--Erik

Polishing is done before anodizing. The best way to think of this is that once you anodize it's done. The metal is sealed.

No. Ernie polished the yoyos and then had them anodized. They weren't blasted in any way, nor was your purple 888.

The most common surface treatments that occur before anodizing are either nothing, polishing or some kind of blasting. You kind of have to pick one of them and depending on which on you do, you get a different result after anodizing.

Correction: look at Brett's Wedgie.

Hey...a simple capital letter can really change the meaning of a sentence can't it? LOL

RIDE

Keep this up and I may have to exercise my banning privileges.